AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, APR 28, 2003 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father received in separate audiences:
- Archbishop Angelo Comastri, prelate of Loreto and pontifical delegate for the Shrine of Loreto, and an entourage.

- Bishop Wilton Daniel Gregory of Belleville, U.S.A., president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, accompanied by Bishop William Stephen Skylstad of Spokane, U.S.A., Msgr. William P. Fay, and Sister Lourdes Sheehan, R.S.M, respectively vice-president, secretary general and associate secretary general of the same conference.

On Saturday April 26, the Holy Father received in audience:

- Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, apostolic nuncio in Bulgaria.

- Nina Kovalska, ambassador of the Ukraine, on her farewell visit.

- Blanca Elida Zuccolillo de Rodriguez Alcala, ambassador of Paraguay, on her farewell visit.

- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

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THE HOLY FATHER RECEIVES PILGRIMS WHO ATTENDED BEATIFICATIONS

VATICAN CITY, APR 27, 2003 (VIS) - Today at noon in the Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father received in audience the pilgrims who participated yesterday in the beatifications of the Servants of God Giacomo Alberione, Marco D'Aviano, Maria Christina Brando, Eugenia Ravasco, Maria Domenica Mantovani and Guilia Salzano.

Recalling some aspects of the life of the blesseds, the Pope said that Fr. Giacomo Alberione, founder of the Pauline Family, "not only opened up the modern 'pulpits' of social communication to evangelization, but also conceived his work as an organic activity inside the Church and at its service."

The Holy Father asked Blessed Marco d'Aviano, priest of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, "to protect Europe so that it may be able to build up its unity without neglecting its common Christian roots."

Addressing the spiritual daughters of Blessed Maria Cristina Brando, the Pope asked them to unite themselves to "Christ who sacrifices Himself for humanity in the Eucharist" and to spread "their love toward God in humble and daily service to needy brothers and sisters" while following the example of the foundress of the Congregation of the Expiatory Victims of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

The Pope said that Blessed Eugenia Ravasco, foundress of the Congregation of the Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, "became an ardent and untiring apostle, a zealous educator of youths, in particular of young girls, to whom she was not afraid to propose the high aims of Christian life."

Speaking about Blessed Maria Domenica Mantovani, co-foundress of the Institute of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family, John Paul II urged them to learn from her "how to respond promptly to the voice of God who calls every baptized person to aim for sanctity in the ordinary circumstances of every day life."

The Pope concluded by expressing the desire that the spiritual sons and daughters of Blessed Guilia Salzano, foundress of the Congregation of the Catechist Sisters of the Sacred Heart, follow "with joy the footsteps traced by their foundress, ready to face every sacrifice necessary to carry out the mission that God entrusts you."

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NEW AMBASSADOR FROM CZECH REPUBLIC PRESENTS CREDENTIALS

VATICAN CITY, APR 28, 2003 (VIS) - The pope today welcomed to the Vatican the new ambassador from the Czech Republic, Pavel Jajtner, as he presented his Letters of Credence.

The Pope, speaking English, noted that "the Church's diplomatic relations form a part of her mission of service to the human family. While that mission is eminently spiritual and therefore distinct from the political order, her heartfelt desire to foster fruitful relations with civil society stems from her long experience of seeking to apply the universal values pertaining to truth and love to the vast array of cultures and nations that constitute our world. Indeed, it is precisely the task of promoting an understanding of the dignity of the human person and fostering peace among peoples ' essential conditions for the authentic development of individuals and nations ' that motivates the Holy See's diplomatic activity."

Pointing to "the political freedom that the Czech people now enjoy," he added: "History teaches us that the journey from oppression to liberty is arduous, often marked by the lure of false forms of freedom and hollow promises of hope. While economic development and the accompanying social transformation have benefitted many in your country, the weaker members of society, particularly the poor, the marginalized, and the sick and elderly, must be protected.

"Authentic development can never be attained solely through economic means," John Paul II went on. "In fact what has become known as the 'idolatry of the market' ' a consequence of the so-called 'civilization of consumption' ' tends to reduce persons to things and to subordinate being to having. This seriously detracts from the dignity of the human person and makes promotion of human solidarity difficult at best. Instead, recognition of the spiritual nature of the human person and a renewed appreciation of the moral character of social and economic development must be acknowledged as prerequisites for the transformation of society into a true civilization of love."

The Holy Father remarked that, as the world enters the third millennium, countries, individuals and groups in Europe are reflecting on "the fundamental and defining role of Christianity in their particular cultures. Indeed, you yourself noted that the truths and values of Christianity have long been the foundation of the very fabric of European society, giving form to its civic and political institutions." He underscored the importance of Christian teaching that "vigorously affirms and defends the source of the human person's dignity and his place in God's design."

"In this context," Pope John Paul affirmed, "we cannot fail to be concerned that an eclipse of the sense of God has resulted in an eclipse of the sense of man and of the sublime wonder of life to which he is called. While the tragic calamities of war and dictatorship continue to disfigure violently God's loving plan for humanity, so too the more subtle encroachments of increasing materialism, utilitarianism, and marginalization of faith gradually undermine the true nature of life as a gift from God. As the nations of Europe move towards a new configuration, the desire to respond to the challenges of a changing world order must be informed by the Church's perennial proclamation of the truth which sets people free and which enables cultural and civic institutions to make genuine progress."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 28, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Cardinal Julius Riyadi Darmaatmadja, archbishop of Jakarta, Indonesia, and Archbishop Juan Sandoval Iniguez of Guadalajara, Mexico, as members of the Pontifical Council for Culture.

On Saturday April 26 it was made public that the Holy Father:

- Appointed Cardinal Jozef Tomko, president of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses, as his special envoy to the ceremony in which the relics of Blessed Teodor Rornzha will be relocated. This ceremony will take place in the Ukraine on June 28, 2003.

- Appointed Archbishop Adriano Bernardini, apostolic nuncio in Thailand, Singapore and Cambodia, as apostolic delegate in Myanmar, Laos, Malaysia and Brunei.

- Appointed Bishop Joseph Ngo Quang Kiet of Lang Son et Cao Bang, Vietnam as apostolic administrator "sede plena" of the archdiocese of Hanoi (area 7,000, population 6,000,000, Catholics 305,000, priests 49, religious 325), Vietnam.

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PONTIFICAL BIBLICAL COMMISSION CELEBRATES CENTENARY

VATICAN CITY, APR 25, 2003 (VIS) - The Pontifical Biblical Commission will hold its annual plenary session in the Vatican's Domus Sanctae Marthae from April 28 to May 2 on the theme of the relationship between the Bible and morals. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, president of the commission and prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, will preside at the meeting. Fr. Klemens Stock, S.J., will lead the work sessions.

The afternoon of May 2 there will be a celebratory session in the Augustinianum Patristic Institute to mark the centenary of the Biblical Commission. The third and final report commemorating this anniversary will be given by Cardinal Ratzinger on "The Magisterium of the Church and Exegesis. Their Relationship in the Light of the 100 years of the Pontifical Biblical Commission."

The Commission has 19 members in addition to Cardinal Ratzinger, Fr. Stock and Fr. Alessandro Belano, F.D.P. respectively president, secretary and technical secretary.
On October 30, 1902 Pope Leo XIII instituted the Pontifical Commission for Bible Studies with the Apostolic Letter "Vigilantiae studiique," assigning it the task of promoting Bible studies and taking care to see that they were free from error. Pope St. Pius X in 1904 gave the commission the faculty of conferring academic degrees in Bible studies. Pius XI, in 1924 and again in 1931, made the degrees given by the commission equal to those conferred by pontifical athenaeums. In 1942 Pope Pius XII divided the subject matter of the licentiate, allowing the bachelor's degree to be given after the first exam.

Pope Paul VI, with the Motu proprio "Sedula cura" of June 27, 1971, completely reorganized the Pontifical Biblical Commission, linking it with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, whose prefect is "ex officio" the president of the commission.

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